Which two stars forming the outer edge of the Big Dipper's bowl are used as 'pointer stars' to find Polaris?
Answer
Merak and Dubhe
Polaris is located by utilizing the asterism known as the Big Dipper, which is part of the constellation Ursa Major. Specifically, the key lies in the two stars that define the outer edge of the bowl section of the Big Dipper. These two stars are designated as Merak and Dubhe, and they are referred to as the 'pointer stars'. To locate the North Star, an imaginary line must be drawn starting from Merak, passing through Dubhe, and then extended outward for a distance roughly five times the separation between Merak and Dubhe. Following this extrapolated line will lead directly to Polaris.
Related Questions
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